Chapter 13: Jaseung, Reveals the Truth
Everyone tensed at Lee Jaseung’s words.
Lee Jaseung, who valued trust above all else, had kept something hidden from them?
Mujin spoke in a joking tone.
“Don’t tell me you’re from the Orthodox Faction? Or maybe you were secretly raised by the Nine Great Sects?”
Lee Jaseung turned around with a serious expression. He looked as if he was saying ‘How did you find out?’ which startled Dan Woobin.
“Is that true?”
When Dan Woobin spoke in shock, the other three stared at him in disbelief.
“You actually believed that?”
Dan Woobin blanked out after hearing Mujin.
“It was a joke?”
“Of course. In what way does our Lord even resemble an Orthodox man?”
“He’s kind, isn’t he?”
This time, it was Mook Young who let out a faint laughter. It was rare for him to show such an emotion, so all attention immediately turned to him.
Mujin wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass, as someone who loved to tease people.
“You probably know best, being around him all the time. He’s about as far from being kind as those two old bastards over there.”
He spoke while gazing at the Twin Monsters, implying the difference was like heaven and earth.
Everyone chuckled. After the mood lightened, Lee Jaseung spoke his thoughts.
“My dream is not the unification of the Unorthodox Faction.”
The tension returned.
“My dream is the unification of the entire world.”
Tension turned to surprise, and surprise turned to horror.
When he said it wasn’t about unifying the Unorthodox Faction, they were surprised for sure, but they didn’t expect him to say the unification of the whole world after.
And yet, that single phrase shook all their hearts.
Unifying the world.
It was the ultimate ambition for those living in the martial world, especially those seeking supremacy.
Just hearing that phrase made their hearts pound.
But of course, it was the most difficult feat of all.
The strength of the Orthodox Faction and the Demonic Cult, who shared control of the martial world with the Black Way Alliance, was nothing short of unparalleled.
Many dreamt of the unification of the world, but no one was able to achieve that dream for that reason.
Lee Jaseung turned to face them. After slowly meeting each of their eyes, he spoke firmly.
“This world, let’s take it.”
Everyone’s hearts surged.
They definitely felt the same emotion. But along with that, came fear.
They knew the depth of the Orthodox Faction’s power better than anyone. Destroying the Murim Alliance wasn’t going to be enough.
There were countless hidden masters who would emerge at the first sign of true chaos.
And what about the Demonic Cult?
They had the Asura Demon Sect, a terrifying force.
It had taken seven years just to unify the relatively weaker Black Way.
No one said anything. Lee Jaseung waited for them to organize their thoughts.
The first person to speak was Mook Young.
“My duty remains the same no matter the situation.”
Whether conquering the world or drinking in a brothel, he would protect Lee Jaseung. A statement of absolute loyalty.
“May I be excused now?”
He wasn’t fond of showing himself to others. Understanding this, Lee Jaseung nodded his head and approved.
Mook Young quietly disappeared.
To everyone’s surprise, Ma Young-gi was the second person to speak out.
“That’s an insane thought to have.”
No one expected him to say such a thing, as he was usually quiet.
Mujin couldn’t hold back and laughed loudly.
“Hahahahaha!”
He seemed delighted that someone had said what he hadn’t dared to. Mujin continued to laugh, but Ma Young-gi remained expressionless.
He spoke again.
“Even so, I will follow you my Lord, through any madness.”
Following him, Mujin scratched his head and spoke.
“Well, a powerless guy like me can only follow the trend, right?”
The only one who hadn’t spoken was Dan Woobin.
He seemed both angry and conflicted.
Everyone waited for him to speak.
His internal conflict wasn’t just because he was a strategist, but because he cared about Lee Jaseung the most.
Finally, he spoke.
“Why do you want to unify the world?”
Everyone gazed at Lee Jaseung. They were all curious.
Lee Jaseung shrugged and replied.
“It’d be cool, right?”
The three men waited for more, thinking Lee Jaseung was joking. But Lee Jaseung looked at them back as if he was asking ‘What else is there to say?’.
“Hahahahaha!”
Mujin laughed out loud again.
“Indeed, it is cool. Isn’t that the coolest thing one could achieve in the world?”
Dan Woobin looked at Lee Jaseung with a skeptical look. Was that really the reason? He wasn’t able to tell.
“Very well. Then do you have a plan for world unification?”
“That’s what I hired you for.”
“What!? You’re going to dump that work on me?”
“Yes, it’s all on you now.”
Dan Woobin suddenly realized something and shouted.
“Wait? You focused on recruiting young people for this reason! Because you thought it would take a long time to achieve your dream.”
Lee Jaseung gave a confusing smile. It seemed as if he was confirming Dan Woobin, but also not at the same time.
“Let me assign you a new dream.”
Dan Woobin quickly shouted after hearing Lee Jaseung.
“Wait, that’s not something you decide for someone else!”
“From now on, your dream isn’t to be the Black Way Alliance’s chief strategist. It’s to be the world’s greatest strategist.”
Dan Woobin pouted with a face of sorrow, but his eyes sparkled brighter than ever.
* * *
Half an hour later, Baek Seolyoung and Chu Sang-gi arrived at the battlefield filled with corpses. They already had an idea of what happened judging from the smell of blood, but the sight still made them shudder.
Chu Sang-gi spotted the Black Dragon King’s body.
“It’s the Black Dragon King.”
Two old men were nearby him. Chu Sang-gi was able to tell their identities judging from their attire.
“They are the Twin Monsters of Heaven and Earth.”
He examined the bodies.
“Judging by the wounds, they must have fought each other to mutual destruction.”
Mook Young had inflicted new wounds to the body to make it appear that way. His understanding of martial arts ensured that not even experts would detect the deception.
Baek Seolyoung said nothing. She stood still, staring blankly at the Black Dragon King’s corpse.
He was her second hope after the metal box.
She had kept a watch on him, and she came here after hearing that he had moved to Shaanxi.
The Black Dragon King was a neutral party. In other words, he wasn’t involved in politics between the Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions.
Most importantly, he was an incredibly talented martial artist.
She had planned to win him over. She wanted to make him her own.
She didn’t step forward without a plan. She had met him when she was very young, alongside her father.
She still clearly remembered how he patted her head. She was certain she could convince him.
“Damn it!”
She cursed out loud. Why did the Black Dragon King and the Twin Monsters of Heaven and Earth kill each other?
“Heaven does not aid me.”
There weren’t that many people in the world who could kill the Black Dragon King. Yet, the ones who were capable, fought against him and died as well.
Chu Sang-gi pulled her with a concerned look.
“We should leave now. It’d be a problem if we get involved in this.”
Baek Seolyoung left the area with Chu Sang-gi after hearing his words.
* * *
In the carriage on the way back to the Black Way Alliance, Dan Woobin mentioned the first step in unifying the world.
“The Northern Sky Clan.”
“Northern Sky Clan?”
Lee Jaseung’s eyes showed interest due to an unexpected answer.
“Do you remember when I mentioned them before?”
“You said that the Lord was gravely ill, right?”
“Yes, the Lord passed away, and his daughter succeeded him. Her name is Baek Seolyoung. She’s bright, capable, and very beautiful. However…”
Dan Woobin trailed off, and Lee Jaseung guessed the rest.
“She doesn’t hold real power.”
“Yes, the previous Lord’s death was very sudden.”
Lee Jaseung’s gaze sharpened. He was asking if it was murder.
“Who knows.”
Like Dan Woobin said, it was impossible to know. Orthodox Faction not resorting to poison? That was a ridiculous thing to believe.
All kinds of unspeakable acts committed by the most unexpected people could be found there if dug deep enough.
They may try to cover things up, but there were no secrets in the martial world. Even Lee Jaseung knew many shocking secrets of the Orthodox Faction.
“Anyway, if the former Lord of the Northern Sky Clan had lived just a little longer, he would have successfully passed on the clan to his daughter.”
That only made the whole situation more fishy. If he hadn’t died that day, it would’ve meant that all power would’ve gone to his daughter, with no one being able to seize her position.
“The one making the biggest moves in the Northern Sky Clan right now is Elder Yang Sebang. He’s extremely ambitious, highly skilled in martial arts, and has great influence in the clan. On top of that, he’s politically savvy. As soon as the previous Lord died, he quickly made a move and now seems to control over half the clan.”
Dan Woobin had a grasp of the Northern Sky Clan’s situation that exceeded Lee Jaseung’s expectations.
He received reports from the Three-Eyed Pavilion several times a day, and all of them related to the political currents of the world.
“Of course, that doesn’t mean everyone abandoned Baek Seolyoung. They may not show it outside, but many still mourn the previous Lord and feel pity for her. It seems like many people will switch back to her side if she gains power.”
Lee Jaseung agreed. Especially in a power struggle, it’s hard to restore balance once the scale tips.
Those influenced by power were just as sensitive to its movement as merchants are to money.
Dan Woobin spoke with sharp eyes filled with resolve.
“Let’s take over the Northern Sky Clan.”
“Is that possible?”
“We’ll make it possible. Once we return to the Alliance, I’ll draft a full strategic plan for seizing control of the Northern Sky Clan.”
After a brief pause, Dan Woobin added with his eyes sparkling.
“The key to resolving this might not be Yang Sebang, but Baek Seolyoung instead.”